Challenges and StressesTime is currently a limited resource with long commute,

management of household with preschool children and current housing arrangement. Am using mentors to figure

out longer term strategies and encouragement to ask questions

and seek help.

Landing Current position and openness to new opportunitiesThe search for my current position that I started a month agofaced several hurdles. We became new parrents, had mywork papers approved and dealt with several months break inappointments. Yet we were successful due to persistence,preparation and practice.

Just as one might expect, as soon as I started a new positionother opportunities arise. While the benefits package is quitesatisfactory and meets our needs (eg. salary exceeds ACS

Salary Comparator benchmark), I will find a way to accept

interview invitations. I do not do them from my employer’s

locations nor on employer’s time. I keep all engagements

confidential and record notes.

Interestingly, since this is a legal position “billable hours”is a new work constraint that I am learning to include in myagenda.

Opportunities for GrowthIn addition to a highly skilled staff and generous benefits,the firm offers continuous in-house training, support for

JZ contacted me about preparing for an upcominginterview and she is concerned about being aninternational professional who has pursued herdreams. She believes –”she does not have the freedom to choose passion if they are not traditionalcareer paths. …I have H4 visa (spouse- H1B) and needsponsorship to work. [Situations are such that Iwant] to add income by looking at a job related to mygraduate degree.”

.

We corresponded refreshing what we had discussed

in person and in class five years ago as she was making

decisions for her family. The times have changed in

the immigration world since then and that may influence

employment decisions. These can be overcome by

thoughtful preparation, considerate follow through

and win-win comments during the interview..

.

Preparation Considerations- - your Linkedin.com profile needs to show interestand express background and experience in the chemicalfield- Arrange an information interview to re-familiarizeyourself with OSHA, MSDs, and HazWaste and goodlaboratory practice with people in the field. - Develop ~1 min. stories and jot down memory aids

for each bullet in your resume- Study the company and area around the company.Look at its website, goggle people, look at Linkedinprofiles for connections.

- Even if the interview is remote or virtual, dress as

if you were visiting the site. Plan to be prepared a

reasonable time in advance.

- Write down critical questions you wish to ask, Like: What is a typical day like? What are typical analyses and instrumentation used?

What is the safety record of the company? Who will you be reporting to, who will you replaceand can you learn key information from them?

- Have pen, paper, your documents and a calendar and

computer handy.

- Salary expectation study for range

- Be prepared to offer names and addresses of references. Contact references in advance asking

A colleague was encouraged by her PI to apply for a postdoctoralassociate (PA) position. She was screened and traveled to an on-siteinterview. She reported back that the interviews went quite welland she was optimistic. Soon after (less than a week), an offer lettercame for a one-year appointment as PA. The first paragraph also included starting date, annual salary of $42K, the supervisor’s nameand proviso that a background check was a precondition.[There were usual links to policies and benefits.]

Initial back and forth negotiations said nothing could be done withsalary, but relocation assistance would cover all expenses. Nosupport for green card application was forthcoming but they understood the background check concern as her name is commonand could easily lead to confusion in such checks. She approvedthe offer and signed the document.

Not two weeks later did she attend another conference and metan entrepreneur who invited her to come for an interview for aposition that looked even better than the post-doc.

She was encouraged to pursue the position. She had two separateinterviews and dinner with the firm’s president. The result wasa very nice offer, more than $20K higher, with a series of positiveincentives (including assistance with obtaining a green card). The problem was that she had accepted a post-doc offer.Can you go back and turn down an offer to accept a better one?

Yes! It is entirely feasible. Yet, it is important to respond professionally on both offers. Review the second job offer diligently and confirm the offer details and starting arrangements (like background check as, above). Then, practice a turn down conversation with the first supervisor. Have all the details ready and professionally articulated.Then, do it in person, not via an email.

Her follow-up:“I thought phone would be better and direct rather than just sendingan email. As mentioned in this article you just sent, Dr. …. said that my decision is certainly not convenient for them. But he appreciated that I called in a timely manner and discussed the situation. He realized that my preference has always been to work in industry, and this job sponsors me for work authorization in the US. I also told him that I would be happy to help them in finding the best candidate for their position. So, in the end, he wished me best luck for my future career.

…After the phone conversation, I sent an email to the HR person …acknowledge her and let her know my decision. So she won’t [proceedwith other paperwork.”

The PhD graduate had worked hard. We had spoken several timesover the last 6 months about documents, interview questions andfollow-up activities. Now the time had come. He received a generousoffer from a high tech firm through networking with a previous member of his research group.

The networking connection, he mentioned, did not land the joboffer for him. It allowed him to be selected to be interviewed. Hehad to do the rest. In fact, during group interview sessions, the person he had an affiliation with was pretty much a silent partner.

Salary, benefits, starting date, position title, bonus plan involvement,relocation provision of $4K (with a repayment plan if the newemployee left earlier than 2 years; this is a “clawback” condition) were nicely covered in the offer letter.

There are many uncertainties at this point. So we spoke about obtaining clarity on his starting title of “senior phosphor engineer”, obtaining an offer to cover expenses of a househunting trip, asking for assistance in registering for permanent residence (lottery, fees, legal) and suggestions for what to do with 401K, healthcare spending account, insurances and vendors, and medical needs.

It was interesting to note that the offer letter indicated he was “at will” and gave him just 4 days to respond to accept the offer. On the company webpage, the position was listed as temporary. Al Sklover’s page is a valuable resource to mention at this point.He reviews terminology and how to word questions so that theycome across professionally.

We did not go into salary comparisons, however the ACS salarycomparator listed his offer at the 80 percentile using 2013 data.[Interesting to note glassdoor.com listed ~$10K higher salariesin comparison.]

A very recent PhD attended the Negotiation Processseminar. This person seemed to be both pleasedand concerned.

This person expressed not being aware of the importanceof receiving a formal offer letter. The list of possibleitems that could be negotiated and how to form andconduct the process were quite valuable. However,it seems, preliminary research work for this small company had already begun without pay or even anoffer letter.

Let me indicate that this entry is not focused on theoffer letter and its contents. Please refer to excellententries in Sklover Working Wisdom.

This person asked: What should I do now, as I havenot heard from the small start up company entrepreneur?The verbal job offer for the PhD was $50K/ year.

This is clearly an opportunity to put the negotiatingchecklist and negotiating process to work. It is important to ask for an in person meeting to seeka written commitment stating starting date, title,salary and formal benefits and any conditionals(like, receiving a grant or funding or contracts).

The person should be doing formal due diligence onthis position and its competitors, should be forminga negotiating team to help define and evaluate, shouldbe establishing BATNA and all the other processsteps and checklist items.

To start, going to the ACS Salary Comparator canestablish a ground state. It does not seem to me,besides protests to the contrary, that $50K is areasonable starting salary for a full time PhD position.The 2013 data assessment bore this hypothesis out.

The process for getting a job does not end withthe on-site interview. The interview continuumthat we have talked about is important. What happens and how a candidate approaches thenegotiations that follow are critical, too.

Over a series of phone calls recently, a member has learned about an open position (from her network), interviewed successfully (including a well received technical presentation), and recently a phone call offering a position andstarting salary.

What can happen next?A. In our conversation we reviewed several itemsincluding determining an appropriate salary[ACS Salary Comparator and other useful sites],doing homework on the company via your network,and determining what are the key things you wishfor your family (living arrangements, benefits,special situations, starting date among the leadingitems). [See a factor outline.]

B. Legal issues may also play a role. [Sklover offersa terrific perspective on a number of factors andis worth viewing, including letter of resignation.]Make it official. Ask for a formal offer letter and detailed information about the benefits package.We talked about defining when she could leaveher current firm.

C. After receiving the offer letter, the “ball is in her court” and a fairly rapid responseis in order. Knowing what your family needs in the new positionand location is critical– insurances, relocation, job help for spouse, trip for finding a residence, and even vacations or time off.

D. Identify key items that the new firm desires–starting date, application of key know-how andother critical items to be a successful enterprise.

E. Have a chance to practice the negotiating conversation. You want to make every interactionwith both your current position supervisor and prospective, offering companyenthusiastic andpositive. Know what positive things you wishto communicate about both.

DISCUSSION

The Negotiation Continuum is a matching framework for after you receive an offer to the interviewing continuum. It starts with factors and data for each position/company and comes down to how you prioritize the factors. Consider gatheringinformation for this process before you interview.

Have a priority order of topics in mind when you speak with the prospective company. We practiced a presentation order based on what was determined highest priority. We determined negotiation give-ups and what makes the most sense– know what is the key need that the company desires and meet and exceed it.

During a discussion today with a client, three big concerns came up. We talked about pay and benefits topics, as well.

PAYDon’t initiate the discussion over salary. If it comesup, like: what salary do you expect, show you have done your homework on the topic. You might mention that salary is only one component of an overall compensation package. Do a good search on the ACS Salary comparator and other salary sites so that you have a reasonable range in mind, for the position (field, degree), years of experience, and region of the country.

BENEFITSWhat is the benefits package? That is another of the “don’t ask” topics– Benefits will be listed on thecompany web page and they will likely bring it upduring the interview day.

The three big topics were– dealing with illegalquestions confidently, having the confidence andpreparation to deal with citizenship and lengthof employment and importance of one’stechnical presentation.

1. ILLEGAL QUESTIONSWhile it is likely that professional interviewers willnot bring these up, it is possible. So that it doesnot take away from your confidence and composure,Have an idea what you would say if an illegal question or topic comes up. For ladies, for example,are you married, when do you expect to be married, do you plan to have children, etc.

For men and women, what is your religion, what is your political affiliation and other similar topics.

2. CITIZENSHIP AND HOW LONG DO YOUEXPECT TO WORK HERE?The woman professional came from southeastAsia and she revealed to me that she was marriedand her spouse was out of the country. Noneof these details, I told her, need to be broughtup in the interview (However, it was appropriatefor her to bring it up with her career consultant,confidentially). They do not factor into herqualifications for the job, at this point.

She should aim to show her unique skills andqualifications for the position and to earn the joboffer.

Citizenship can come up in many positions, butshe had already passed the resume hurdle wherethis would have been considered.

As far as how long would she work there, thiscan be addressed by describing her motivationfor the position. She looks forward to joining a strong firm that works to solve problems or satisfy customers or invent new treatments fordiseases. As long as the team and challenges are there, she should indicate that would encourageher to stay.

Our technical workforce today is quite mobileand many companies hire people as “at will”employees. So, we no longer expect lifetimeemployment when we start at a firm.

3. IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SEMINARThis is the means for a company to assess aperson’s technical skills, communication skillsand confidence. It is very significant for peopleapplying for technical positions.

It is very hard to recover from a poorly receivedtechnical presentation.

She mentioned that the company asked her to present a 45 minute talk on her research. Shewas concerned that she had nearly 45 slides. Many of the slides were detailed. So,we decided that she could “hide” a few of the information rich slides and focus on those thatpermit her to tell a story of her work. Savethe detailed, information rich slides for asummary of her work and for details in response to questions. Do stay within the45 minute limit as much as possible.

It is a positive sign when a call comes in asking forhelp in what to do with competing job offers. A recent B.S. in engineering received a second offer from a small engineering manufacturing firm where he is currently working as an intern. [He had originally received an offer to start at a hardwaremanufacturing plant of Fortune 500 June 5.]

What factors should he consider? What should he do, in what order?

While he tried to hide it, his heart was clearly withthe second offer, although its starting salary is$10K lower. The cost of living appears to be lowerand no move was involved. These things are usuallywhat mid-career people would consider significant,so it was interesting that this recent grad prized these.

We ran down the list of things to consider–123 and what stood out were - starting date (June 5 vs. April 25with time off, no pay for a planned trip to Europe for10 days in May) [This starting date and time off seemsto make the first year’s salary difference disappear.], - no health and disability insurance coverage for the first month in one position [Higher salary offer- insurance begins after 1 month.], - no vacation until after the first year anniversary [both,with a wrinkle in 4 personal days granted in the 2nd.].

Some features of one seemed to be matched byequivalent features of the other, like 401K in oneand profit sharing in the other.

Since things seem hard to compare, you can see why he called looking for help.

The first company is a large, international companywith many locations and an impressive recentearnings sheet record. The second offer was aprivately held company.

Decisions are emotional tug-of-wars, especially where there might not be a clear winner. As we always say, salary is only one component of a compensation package.

Where does this fellow’s heart belong? Which place would he look forward to rising every dayand head off to his goals and career? He was strongly attracted by the second offer, but wanteda way to make the decision seem a good choice.

First step:He should get back to the second company and tell them he really would like to work there.It would be an easier choice if their offer wascomparable. What might be their best offer?Have ideas in mind of what would be meaningful.Go to ACS Salary comparator for ballparkestimates [which I did for him.] of salary andgo to other sites for benefits.

Second step: Ask to get the negotiated agreement, if changed in any way, in writing. It is significantto have things in writing and companies areunderstanding. Thank them.

Third step:In a professional and friendly conversationcontact the first company and tell them thatyou have received a competing offer and wish to decline their offer.He thought that he should contact both thehiring manager and human resource professional, since they were terrificpeople.We then did a mock conversation and practiced doing this, especially dealingwith what changed his mind. Again,realize decisions are emotional in nature andwe rationalize them with data. He should nothave to say clearly the job description did notmatch his desires or did not want to leave home.These although true do not reflect well onthe job seeker in his situation.

Note: Have the desired job offer in handbefore rejecting a valid offer.

Step four:Write a formal letter of acceptance and rejection to each company.

What can a career consultant provide for you? A near-thesis-defense grad student contacted me about resume fine-tuning. As luck would have it, she has been invitedto an on-site interview for a position for which she isquite interested.

She contacted me about concerns she had for the on-site interview. For sure, she can consult a recent contribution about interview prep 1 .After describing the position, we developedseveral strategies that we wish to share:

4. Develop a list of questions you wantto ask. Write them down on a pad thatyou will bring to the interview. Ask permissionto take notes during your interview and haveyour questions on that pad.

5. Remember the “don’t ask” questions:salary, training, publication, benefits andmeetings. Do your homework on salary expectationsusing the ACS salary comparator. Be prepared if the question is asked of you.Salary is only one component of a compensation package.

7. Negotiations begin after the positionhas been offered. Ask a consultant forinput. If you are concerned about startingdate, living arrangements, certain benefitshold your concerns until you have been offered the position.

8. If you have dietary restrictions, it isappropriate to bring them up in conversationwith your host before you arrive (vegetarian,for example).

As the idea comes from Lisa Balbes, let me thank her for her generosity in posing the question.

There are a number of common questions we are posed by undergraduates. One, I remember from the Undergraduate program at NERM in Hartford was: How much will I make on this job, as it is not listed in the job description?

First, this is one of the “Don’t ask topics“ an undergraduate or anyone else, for that matter, should not ask. Nonetheless,it is one they need to research.

This question should not happen in yourcover letter or any conversations.

Second, do your research using web tools, like the ACS Salary Comparator and other databases (be wary of when and from whom the information is taken.),and using your network, since you will have a network helping you on the search ask them how much their starting salary was ask current employees in your network about salary administration and recent increases.

Remember, salary is only one componentof an overall compensation package. The value for you will be different than for another person’s situation.

Third, be able to respond to this questionif you are asked how much do you expect to make.If you are working with a Recruiter, he or she will likely ask you this question.It can also be asked in an interview. Several previous entries have talked about this. 1234

Negotiating is an integral part of a good decision-making process. The question is usually, at least for recent graduates, what and how should I posea negotiation process?

A member recently contacted me with a delightful problem. He had two hard-copy offers in hand, with $13000 difference in salary, difference in company size, differences in vacation, holidays, savings and investment plan and effort in bringing him on board.

We talked about the excitement he has with each position and he felt he would do well in both places. He would learn quite new skills (proposalwriting and negotiations) in one, he felt. His spouse will relocate and need to find an exciting position for herself in both situations.

The ACS salary comparator was of some value in this case. One (higher) position’s offer was $8K below the 50 percentile value ($91K; note location in high cost of living area); the second
was $2K higher than benchmark ($68K). [SUGGESTION: this is should always be done for every position for which you interview, before the interview.]

The rest of this entry offers what other consultants considered significant what items had some “wiggle room” in the discussions with both companies, and some words and phrases that were thoughtfully used..

He was provided input from my cabinet of counselors: - some felt there was little to negotiate at this time; evaluate the offers as is. [My recommendation: ask each ‘Is this your best offer?’ and determine which items to negotiate based on which had‘value for him and his family.’] - most felt his decision would be based on where he would get the most satisfaction and provide greater personal growth. - some felt questions could be posed–dual ladder for advancement (get a company handbook for details), what are the details on bonus plans, what happens after the first project is completed, what is the annual review process, which is a better place to live and with whom (people) was he most impressed?

Key words and phrases: - High level of respect for the opportunity to work there, - describe the offer as fair, but is it possible to re-evaluate based on a competing offer from a Fortune 500 company - when accepting and rejecting offers, accept the offer you want first, then reject the second best offer. (don’t go backwards) Confirm the details that have been negotiated. - when rejecting the offer, indicate that it was a fair offer and the decision was not based on how he was treated during the interview process. He was delighted to have met everyone on the interview team and wishes to thank them. - With bonuses, can the bonus be “summed up” (taxes paid on the bonus)
.

So, you have prepared and gotten approval toattend the ACS national meeting. That means you have had your resume reviewed, you have submitted the latest version to the ACS Careers web-link, you have registered and made arrangements for the meeting including things listed in 1 .

You have narrowed down the fields in which you wish to work (Personal self assessment) and now it is a good idea to learn what companies will be represented there.

1. Go to Find a Job tab on the Job seekers’dashboard 2. Based on your previous interrogation of thepage, go to ‘view’, ’saved’ or ‘advanced’and search out positions available/firms withthe orange “C”, as they will be interviewing atthe Career Fair.3. Explore in detail the job description and requirements. Specifically line up each of theitems with your desires, experiences, competencies and accomplishments.4. Create a “focused list” of jobs/companies to consider interviewing for under SAVE JOB.5. Now is when your hard work begins.Use your network, LinkedIn and literatureresearch on the technical and business aspects.to determine a priority order of places to interview.5.a. Look at the ACS Salary comparator foran idea of the range of salary. Remember this is “dated” and it may be wise to consult a couple of other databases listed on the left of this page.6. The earlier you do this the better. Consider, if they have not contacted you already requesting an interview. Have times and days planned so that you can accomplish all you set out to do at the meeting.7. Don’t limit yourself to the Career Fair. Attend talks by leading people from companiesand visit the exhibition area. Plot out a strategy of visiting firms by the consulting exhibitor list and if they are presenting on any topics at the meeting.8. Don’t leave out speaking with recruiters who will be at the meeting.

After one of the workshops, a member approachedme with the question: What do you do if you receive an offer, but it is lower than you expect for the position?

I guess this might be the case with the economythese days and many candidates being available forfewer openings.

There are several things one might do. Among thefirst is to courteously explore the details of the offer. 12

Do your homework on establishing expected salarieswith the salary comparator and other tools. Checkwith your network.

Confirm that the business is doing well financially,that there is not something behind the offer.

Liz Ryan has written a couple of blogs on this besides confirming the offer in writing, she recommends enthusiastically expressing your interest in the position and adding that theremight be some way of working together. Sheproposes that the offer might be suitable ifyou worked shorter hours or on a consulting basis.

The Ladders talks about establishing threenumbers– ideal, no-go and satisfactory. Then,creating a discussion with the company decisionmaker about reaching the satisfactory amount.

A third approach brings up items that may benegotiable if you really need the job and wantto reach common ground so that both you andthe employer will be satisfied. My sense is youneed to begin preparing to say that you are sorry you cannot accept the offer as it is.

Suggestions were offered to a capable undergraduate senior who came to have her resume reviewed. Sheis attending the ACS national meeting and did not havea clear focus on where she wished to work. The resumerevealed that.

First we reviewed a draft job search plan she mightconsider:-create a target company list-develop a file system for each company-build a network contact list and where the networkmembers can potentially help her make contacts to the targets-place items into the file: news stories, ads for companies and their competitors, key employees, product descriptions-contact recruiters and search firms for the particularindustry-add business profiles, business reports for key companiesand industries. Look up salaries with ACS salary comparator and other salary tools.-create contact and follow-up plans, sorted by date.use social networking sites.-create targeted resumes, after doing a self-assessment.

We then talked about how she could ask herself some questions and perform a self assessment with instruments listed in the blogroll.

Then, we focused on her “draft resume”. While notperfect it was a good start. Every first resume has places for improvement. We reviewed the resume file concept and showed how to make her resume brief, clear and specific, focusing on the courses she had completed and techniques she listed.

Courses:While her placement center recommendedlisting all her undergraduate courses to fill in the page,we talked about modifying it to included unique advanced courses which reveal a background inorganic synthesis of medically important compounds,structure activity profiles and advanced experimentaldesigns. It is not valuable to talk about the coursestaken in the first 2 years.

Advanced skills: While the placement center suggested all the methods she had used in the various labs, we talked about focusing on key skillsthat might be used for the compounds her target companies might see valuable– microscale, multi-step synthesis and several others.

These items seem pertinent for people at early stages in their career looking for their first professionalpositions.

How much do you expect to make, theinterviewer or recruiter will ask you…

What do you say?

Several posts have addressed this.12So, do you say what you find at onesite? No as we have mentioned, check afew.

But don’t just run the numbers, do a“sanity check” on the numbers.

Recently, I went a reputed high value siteand used the salary comparator. I comparedseveral different jobs which I expected tocome up differently, like process chemicalengineering with 20 years experience witha health and safety principal engineer. Guesswhat? Same numbers…

It suggests the database does not have enoughdata or does not separate the job titles enough,or regions of the country. This means that anydata from this kind of search needs to be questioned.

Certainly, I complained to the association. I do know that they have severely cut backon providing this service for members as itis not a revenue producer. Members needto indicated dis-satisfaction. However we need to also look at sites like salary.com andothers that may help.

If one receives a job offer from the government,with a previous position, you may be expectedto give a previous W2 as proof of your salary.Sometimes your pay can be matched if you canprove you earned more than they were prepared tooffer.

If you receive a verbal offer, ask for a writtendocument. If the firm prefers not to give you one,then ask if the offer has been officially approvedand if you could generate a generic offer. See legal opinion for proper wording.

If you are offered a position and the official asksto know how much you expect to make, MeganDriscoll recommends that you will consider any reasonable offer.Then, assuming you truly want the position, if thesalary and benefits do not meet your minimum requirements, you can enthusiastically say youreally want the position and with your homeworkindicates that one or more ‘offer items’ limit your accepting the offer for the position.It may be appropriate at this point to indicatethat you have in hand a competing offer or are being seriously considered for anotherposition. You may not benefit from being specificabout the company or amounts. Being honestwill hold you in good stead.

In most cases it shows confidence to ask fortime to consider the details of the offer. In theface of a retraction, many are hesitant to reviewthe offer thoroughly and check out business stability, histories, with people in your networkand salary and benefits comparators.K McGeever suggests one should express enthusiastically great interest in the position and ask for time (be specific about time and day of the response) to get back with an agreement. Review the details thoroughly.

As with most individuals, we put off talk about the challenging topics.We must, however. One of them in career management is salary.

What tipped this off is reading anarticle in WSJ by Marshall Loeb.He offers several observations thathave value to be repeated:

- few job-seekers actually ask for more $

- most corporate recruiters said they are willing to negotiate compensation

- arm yourself with information. Research the company’s pay scale, Determine fair market value for the positionAssess the industry averages and Know the affordability impact of the region you’ll be working in.

One of the most interesting and wellthought-out sites for salary negotiation I found was the Department of State.

Add two other sites to the list you readBEFORE THE INTERVIEW to have better understanding of the situation. Thomas Denham in “Evaluating Jobs andnegotiating salary” puts things in perspectiveby weighing important considerations in joboffers. He puts various decision factors intoperspective. (his weighting factors, but you should decide these factors for yourself)Job Content (30)Your Boss (20)Salary and Benefits (15)Your Co-Workers (10)Typical Work Week (10)Location (10)Organizational Flexibility (5)

Salary in this scheme has a 15 score! Consider asking:Is the salary offer at market level? Would taking this position create economic hardship? How are individual increases and salary reviews and promotions handled? Think also of the total benefits package when considering the offer.

Denham continues in the article by outliningfour Specific areas to score the employers values.I found this most helpful for making soliddecisions.

Once favorable decisions have been madeby the company to hire you and you to consideraccepting the position, then salary negotiationbecomes serious. At times before this, salaryis only brought up to rule out candidates. So, if the question arises, a candidate’s response is “very excited about the oppportunity that you offer and will consider any reasonablecompensation package.”

Salary negotiation is properly handled by organizing, researching, practicing, andhaving contingency plans. Denham providesa nifty lay-out of these by 1) research your salary worth look at: ACS salary comparator and ”The Salary Calculator™” at http://www.homefair.com/homefair/cmr/ saicaic.htmi. ”DataMasters” at http://www.datamasters.com/cgi-bin/col.pi. (Use the research to come up with a base salary range, the top being the best you can hope to get and the bottom being the least you will take.”)

2) understand the normal progression– use of salary screening (are you in the ballpark?)

3) understand each party’s goals and preparefor resistance with acceptable behaviors and responses.

4) establish common ground, showing an attitudethat reveals you seek what good for you given the company’s constraints

Another strong article worth looking atoffers a different organization.

So, know where salary fits in your decision process, know what your family requiresfor compensation, understand the roles you are asked to perform and its valueliving in the location the company asks you to work near.

This is one place that might offer help since there is the potential for many respondents from the society. However, the information might not include bonuses, options, and have a realistic cross-checking mechanism. One always wonders about the “currentness” of surveys like this.

A thought is to consider several such calculators and learn from them all. Perri lists: salary calculator at CareerJournal.com (see the article) salaryexpert.com, be aware of limited sets of titles indeed.com, which pulls data from newspapers, professional organizations, job sites. payscale.com

Perri’s caveats at the end of the article are “clinchers” for me. (ie, worth reading!)- If you really like the company, coming up a few thousand dollars is not a large deal.- Another approach to responding is offered by Thomas Williams: Don’t quote a figure. Specify how you are currently compensated, then advise them that most people would like to advance their earnings potential throughout their career and that salary is only one factor you are considering as you explore new opportunities. You are confident that if both you and the employer think this is right for both that you will be made a good and fair offer.

If pressed to provide a number, Williams suggests, that you should indicate you are not prepared to do so and wish to receive a formal offer if they think you are the right candidate.